St Petersburg FL Homes for Sale | Estelia Mesimer Check all settings on WP dashboard

Remax Metro | Top Real Estate Agent in St Petersburg

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

727 686 2859

  • Home
  • Buy
    • Property Search
    • Buyers Center
    • Mortgage Center
  • Sell
    • Sellers Center
    • Home Valuation
    • Sold Properties
    • Selling Your Probate Home
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Videos & Testimonials
    • Top 5 Reasons to Call St. Petersburg Home
    • Top 5 Reasons to Choose Estelia Mesimer When Buying or Selling a Home
  • Blog
  • News Feed
    • Estelia Featured in Tampa Bay Real Producers Magazine
    • St. Petersburg Bar Association
  • Contact

Tips to Getting the Best Mortgage Rate

August 22, 2022 by Sharon Fennell Kennedy | St. Petersburg, FL: Pinellas County Leave a Comment

The process of getting a home loan differs from getting a car loan. It requires shopping around and researching lenders and rates. This takes time and energy, but not shopping around can cost you thousands of dollars.

Here are important strategies from the Federal Trade Commission when comparison shopping for the best mortgage rates.

Obtain Information from Several Lenders

Home loans are available from several types of lenders — thrift institutions, commercial banks, mortgage companies, and credit unions. Different lenders may quote you different prices, so you should contact several lenders to make sure you’re getting the best price. You can also get a home loan through a mortgage broker. Brokers arrange transactions rather than lending money directly. In other words, they find a lender for you. A broker’s access to several lenders can mean a wider selection of loan products and terms from which you can choose. Brokers will generally contact several lenders regarding your application, but they are not obligated to find the best deal for you unless they have contracted with you to act as your agent. Consequently, you should consider contacting more than one broker, just as you should with banks or thrift institutions.

Whether you are dealing with a lender or a broker may not always be clear. Some financial institutions operate as both lenders and brokers. And most brokers’ advertisements do not use the word “broker.” Therefore, be sure to ask whether a broker is involved. This information is important because brokers are usually paid a fee for their services that may be separate from and in addition to the lender’s origination or other fees. A broker’s compensation may be in the form of “points” paid at closing or as an add-on to your interest rate, or both. You should ask each broker you work with how he or she will be compensated so that you can compare the different fees. Be prepared to negotiate with the brokers as well as the lenders.

Obtain All Important Cost Information

Be sure to get information about mortgages from several lenders or brokers. Know how much of a down payment you can afford, and find out all the costs involved in the loan. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Ask for information about the same loan amount, loan term, and type of loan so that you can compare the information. The following information is important to get from each lender and broker:

1.Rates

  • Ask each lender and broker for a list of its current mortgage interest rates and whether the rates being quoted are the lowest for that day or week.
  • Ask whether the rate is fixed or adjustable. Keep in mind that when interest rates for adjustable-rate mortgages go up, generally so do the monthly payments. If the rate quoted is for an adjustable-rate mortgage, ask how your rate and loan payment will vary, including whether your loan payment will be reduced when rates go down.
  • Ask about the loan’s annual percentage rate (APR). The APR takes into account not only the interest rate but also points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that you may be required to pay, expressed as a yearly rate.

Estelia Mesimer: RE/MAX Metro: St. Petersburg, FL: Pinellas County

According to realtor.com, currently mortgage rates in St. Petersburg are 5.18% for a 30-year fixed loan, 4.59% for a 15-year fixed loan and 4.42% for a 5-year ARM.

2. Points

  • Points are fees paid to the lender or broker for the loan and are often linked to the interest rate. Usually the more points you pay, the lower the rate.
  • Check your local newspaper for information about rates and points currently being offered.
  • Ask for points to be quoted to you as a dollar amount rather than just as the number of points so you will know how much you will actually have to pay.

3. Fees

Courtesy of credible.com

A home loan often involves many fees, such as loan origination or underwriting fees, broker fees, and settlement (or closing costs). Every lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of its fees. Many of these fees are negotiable. Some fees are paid when you apply for a loan (such as application and appraisal fees), and others are paid at closing. In some cases, you can borrow the money needed to pay these fees, but doing so will increase your loan amount and total costs. “No cost” loans are sometimes available, but they usually involve higher rates.

  • Ask what each fee includes. Several items may be lumped into one fee.
  • Ask for an explanation of any fee you do not understand. Some common fees associated with a home loan closing are listed on the Mortgage Shopping Worksheet.

4. Down Payments and Private Mortgage Insurance

Some lenders require 20-percent of the home’s purchase price as a down payment. However, many lenders now offer loans that require less than 20-percent down — sometimes as little as 5- percent on conventional loans. If a 20-percent down payment is not made, lenders usually require the homebuyer to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect the lender in case the homebuyer fails to pay. When government-assisted programs like FHA (Federal Housing Administration), VA (Veterans Administration), or Rural Development Services are available, the down payment requirements may be substantially smaller.

  • Ask about the lender’s requirements for a down payment, including what you need to do to verify that funds for your down payment are available.
  • Ask your lender about special programs it may offer. If PMI is required for your loan
  • Ask what the total cost of the insurance will be.
  • Ask how much your monthly payment will be when the PMI premium is included.

5. Obtain the Best Deal That You Can

Once you know what each lender has to offer, negotiate the best deal that you can. On any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different prices for the same loan terms to different consumers, even if those consumers have the same loan qualifications. The most likely reason for this difference in price is that loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Generally, the difference between the lowest available price for a loan product and any higher price that the borrower agrees to pay is an overage. When overages occur, they are built into the prices quoted to consumers. They can occur in both fixed-rate and variable-rate loans and can be in the form of points, fees, or the interest rate. Whether quoted to you by a loan officer or a broker, the price of any loan may contain overages.

Have the lender or broker write down all the costs associated with the loan. Then ask if the lender or broker will waive or reduce one or more of its fees or agree to a lower rate or fewer points. You’ll want to make sure that the lender or broker is not agreeing to lower one fee while raising another or to lower the rate while raising points. There is no harm in asking lenders or brokers if they can give better terms than the original ones they quoted or than those you have found elsewhere.

Once you are satisfied with the terms you have negotiated, you may want to obtain a written lock-in from the lender or broker. The lock-in should include the rate that you have agreed upon, the period the lock-in lasts, and the number of points to be paid. A fee may be charged for locking in the loan rate. This fee may be refundable at closing. Lock-ins can protect you from rate increases while your loan is being processed; if rates fall, however, you could end up with a less-favorable rate. If that happens, try to negotiate a compromise with the lender or broker.

Bottom Line: When getting a mortgage remember to shop around, to compare costs and terms, and to negotiate for the best deal.

Related Links:
How to shop for and compare mortgage offers
How To Compare Mortgage Lenders & Why It Matters

St. Petersburg Communities – If you’re interested in any of these of communities or live in one of them and are thinking of selling, call Estelia at 727.686.2859

Maximo Moorings: Photo Courtesy of Realtor.com


Allendale Terrace
Bahama Shores
Bayway Isles
Coquina Key
Crescent Heights
Crescent Lake
Downtown
Greater Pinellas Point
Historic Kenwood
Historic Old Northeast
Historic Roser Park
Historic Uptown
Isla del Sol
Old Southeast
Placida Bayou
Snell Isle

About the author

Sharon Fennell Kennedy is a grant writer specializing in non-profits and a real estate blogger for The Mesimer Team – REMAX/Metro in St. Petersburg, FL. She enjoys antiquing and repurposing flea market finds, yoga, walking and reading. You can connect with Sharon on www.estelia.com or www.sharon-kennedy.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECENT POSTS

10 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Condo

2023 Year of the Rabbit Feng – Shui Real Estate Tips

Cleaning and Organizing Your Home in the New Year

2023 Real Estate Resolutions

Embracing the Holiday Season – 2022

St. Petersburg, FL – Water Conservation

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Blog Categories

  • A Dog's World
  • Bayway Isles
  • Blog
  • Buying A Home
  • Coming Soon
  • Condominiums for Sale in Gulfport FL
  • Condos for sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Featured Community
  • Gulfport FL Condos
  • Gulfport FL Condos for Sale
  • Homes for sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Homes in St Petersburg FL
  • Interior Design
  • Lifestyle Trends
  • Listing Your Home
  • Luxury Homes for Sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Luxury Waterfront Homes for Sale in St Petersburg FL
  • Non-Profit Spotlight
  • Old Northeast
  • Personal Development
  • Real Estate
  • Real Estate Tips & Trends
  • Remodeling
  • Selling A Home
  • Sold Listings
  • St Pete Beach Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Downtown Condos for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Condos
  • St Petersburg FL condos for sale
  • St Petersburg FL Homes
  • St Petersburg FL Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Luxury Waterfront Homes
  • St Petersburg FL Townhomes
  • St Petersburg FL Townhomes for Sale
  • St Petersburg FL Waterfront Homes
  • St Petersburg Florida Homes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Florida Townhomes for Sale
  • St Petersburg Homes
  • St. Petersburg
  • Testimonial
  • Tierra Verde FL Townhomes
  • Tierra Verde FL Townhomes for Sale
  • Tierra Verde FL Waterfront Townhomes for Sale
  • Townhomes in Tierra Verde FL
  • Video

Contact

Estelia Mesimer
150 2nd Ave N, Suite 100
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Estelia@Estelia.com
Direct: 727.686.2859

Sign Up To Receive Our Newsletter

Copyright © 2021 Estelia Mesimer | All Rights Reserved. realtor-equal-op

Website Development by Dan Fennell